CPI in Ha Noi, HCMC down compared to November

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in December of both, Ha Noi and HCM City, have reduced in comparison with November, according to the statistics offices of the two cities.

The Ha Noi Statistics Office reported on Tuesday that in December the CPI decreased 0.03 per cent against November but had a year-on-year increase of 0.89 per cent as compared to 2014 — VNS Photo Doan Tung

The Ha Noi Statistics Office reported on Tuesday that in December the CPI decreased 0.03 per cent against November but had a year-on-year increase of 0.89 per cent as compared to 2014.

The reduction was due to a fall in prices of catering services at 0.05 per cent and transport services at 1.45 per cent, as well as a drop in the world oil price and local petrol retail price twice this month.

Meanwhile, seven groups of goods saw an increase in prices, while prices of telecom and education services were unchanged against the previous month, the office said.

The housing, tapped water, fuel and building material reported the highest increase in price at 0.47 per cent. Next was the price of the drinking and tobacco with a surge at 0.17 per cent and home appliances, with an increase of 0.16 per cent.

HCM City also saw reduction of 0.11 per cent in the CPI of December as against the previous month. The city's CPI dropped 0.2 per cent this year, HCM City Statistics Office said. The reduction of the CPI this month was due to lower fuel prices on the world and local markets.

Five of the 11 goods items used to calculate the CPI saw a drop in prices. The price of transport services witnessed the highest reduction at 1.83 per cent due to the impact of lower fuel prices.

Prices of other goods which plunged included home appliances, down 1.23 per cent, cultural, entertainment and tourism services, which dropped 0.58 per cent, and catering services which went down 0.17 per cent.

Meanwhile, some other goods saw a spurt in prices. The prices of housing, electricity and tapped water increased 0.6 per cent, while medicine and health care services increased 0.18 per cent, drinking and tobacco rose 0.14 per cent, and educational services rose 0.04 per cent.

In the HCM City market, the gold price in December dropped 1.53 per cent but the US dollar price surged 1.11 per cent as against those prices in November./.